Card index and the like



1936- F. H, LOVERIDGE ET AL 2,026,532

CARD INDEX AND THE LIKE Filed July 18, 1932 [RY/3722,0725 Freciewz'c z Loz/arzjdxs and Eczz'uz'n ff D ng/[712% 'end of the finger.

Patented Jan. 7, 1936 UNITED STAT ES PATENT OFFICE 2,026,582 CARD INDEX AND THE LIKE ceased Application July 18, 1932, Serial No. 623,160

4 Claims.

Our invention relates to card indexes and the like and more particularly to a device of this character in which the cards are held by springurged supports so that they are normally yieldingly held in superposed relation but can be drawn apart to expose the normally concealed surfaces of the cards and then released by the hand to flip back into their normal position.

Primarily our invention provides a means whereby a body of cards containing information which is to be frequently used can be turned forward in a group through a wide angle so that the top or front edges of the individual cards project forward in such a fashion that it is easy to hold all and to release the cards successively by allowing the top edges to slip in succession past the As each card is released, it flips back into its normal position thus exposing for inspection the proximate surfaces of the card that has been released and the next adjacent card that is being held.

We will describe the preferred form of our invention by reference to the accompanying drawing wherein- Fig. l is a perspective view of our device;

Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the card-holding unit taken from the frame which holds a series of these units.

Referring now in detail to the drawing, there is shown for the sake of illustration a frame consisting of a back portion 5 and a front or base portion 6, which is adapted to rest upon the desk or to be supported by a suitable bracket. The sides of the frame are turned up as at l and 8 to provide mounting portions to receive the cardholding device. Between the back portion 5 and the base portion 6, the frame is extended at an angle to both portions for a purpose which will presently appear. A number of card holders 9 are mounted at spaced points along the intermediate portion I of the frame which connects the front and back portions 6 and 5.

These card holders consist of a metal strip bent as shown clearly in Fig. 3 to provide a back portion II and a front portion l2 between which the card l3 may be clamped. The yielding mounting for these frames consists of a spring wire I4 the opposite ends of which pass through suitable loops provided at l5 and H5 at opposite ends of. the member 9, these loops being on extended portions of the back member II as shown clearly in Fig. 3. The opposite ends of the wire I4 pass through suitable openings such as indicated at I! and H3 in the side portions 1 and 8, and the wire I 4 being flexible may be readily bent between the portions I 5 and I6 enough to withdraw its ends so that they may be passed 5 between the members 1 and 8 until a hole is found for them to fit into.

The resilient action which forces the cards back against the wall 5 is obtained from the resilient wire M by bending it as shown most 10 clearly in Figs. 2 and 3. That is, the wire at the inner end of the loop I5 is bent directly downward as shown at l9 then across at and upwardly again at 2i and then straight along the bottom of the member 9 to the rebent loop at 22 which 5 extends in front of the depending portion carrying the loop I6. The bottom portion 20 rests against the back I9, and it is believed to be obvious that, if the frame 9 and a card therein is turned for example in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3 while the portion 29 is resting against the back wall It}, the wire I4 is twisted between the loop l6 and the portion 20 so that when the .card is released the resiliency of the wire will flip the card back against the back wall 5. The long portion of wire between the members [5 and I6 distributes the strain so that no permanent distortion of the wire occurs; thus it will function for a long time without losing any of its resiliency.

From the above description, it is believed that the construction and operation of this device will be clear to those skilled in this art.

Having thus described one specific form of our invention, What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: 35

1. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of card-like elements adapted to receive legends or the like and means for mounting said elements comprising a support having a back portion, means individual to each element carried by the support and secured to said ele-' ments at one edge thereof and tending to yieldingly swing them against said back portion whereby when said elements are swung away from said back and successively released said means successively swings them back to their original position to thus successively display said legends.

2. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of card-like elements adapted to receive legends or the like and means for mounting said elements comprising a support having a back portion and holding members detachably receiving said elements including spring members individual to said elements tending to yieldingly swing them against the back portion. 55

3. A device of the character described comprising a plurality of card-like elements adapted to receive legends or the like, a support for said elements including a back, and mounting members individual to said elements, said mounting members each including a spring running lengthwise of the element held thereby and tending to yieldingly swing its element toward the back of said support, said spring having an ofiset portion co- 10 operating with the support.

4, A device of the character described compris- 

